In a very intense and gripping game that weathered repeated interruption from the rains, ‘Newport Nukes’, a team from Jersey City won !

For the second year in a row, Sewa International succeeded in blending enthusiasm for cricket and a desire to help a good cause – educating underprivileged children in India. This year’s event raised $30,000 and had registrations from 350 players from 34 teams. Compared to 2011, both the funds-raised and the participation increased by 20%.

Sewa is a Sanskrit word that stands for “service above self” – the players, volunteers and the spectators seemed to have embraced that concept in a big way. Several families from the area watched the cricket games on both days as teams played with gusto to win the “De Ghuma Ke” (Hit Real Hard) trophy.

Ravi Chandra, President – NY Metro Chapter of Sewa said, “With the International Education Fund we support programs such as Vidyadaan – Sanskrit for ‘Spreading Knowledge – that cover educational expenses of extremely poor children in India. Many educational programs are taken up as part of this project.”

Ravi also detailed service activities and disaster relief efforts taken up by Sewa volunteers in the US and other countries.

Raj Mukherji, Jersey City’s Deputy Mayor, said he liked the concept of selfless service portrayed by Sewa and stressed the importance of volunteerism in building a healthy community.

Service driven by Youth

Thanking all volunteers, players and supporters, Ravi said, “Through this tournament, Sewa is encouraging the young community to utilize its power, passion and energy to work towards a noble cause. Youth For Sewa (YFS) is a movement that mobilizes youth for positive change”.

The activities of YFS include fund-raising for worthy causes and taking part in local volunteering projects such as Publicolor, Adopt a Highway, supplying food to local shelters, Meals On Wheels etc.

“I support a lot of projects focused on educating underprivileged children – among those Sewa’s Vidyadaan has a very special place because of it’s efficiency and transparency. I like the fact that this entire operation is driven by the Youth” said Dr. Ravinder Thota, Founder and Chairman of JSMN International Inc, one of the sponsors for the event.

Several local corporations and businesses sponsored the event, including Sahara One, Bollywood Funk NYC and Vatan – a local restaurant who sponsored delicious dinner after the ceremony.

Thanking Sewa for organizing the tournament, Varun Kochar, captain of the winning team expressed his team’s gratitude – “On behalf of my team I thank Sewa for organizing such an extra-ordinary event for a great cause. It is an experience which none of us will ever forget.”

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